Writer Identifies ‘Sticking Point’ Bruins Might Face At NHL Trade Deadline

Will the Boston Bruins once again risk future success for present gain?

The question represents what ESPN’s Emily Kaplan believes is the “sticking point” the Boston faces ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline. NHL observers near and far have identified scoring help as the Bruins’ biggest need, but potential trading partners might make a swap difficult to pull off if they demand NHL Draft capital from Boston, according to Kaplan.

“For the Bruins, this deadline is all about whether they feel they can give up yet another first-rounder,” Kaplan wrote. “Boston gave up a first-round draft pick in 2020 (for Ondrej Kase) and in 2018 (for Rick Nash). Can they afford to go that route again?”

Few people, if anyone, outside of Bruins brass can answer Kaplan’s question definitively or knows exactly what Boston plans to do.

Nevertheless, the NHL trade deadline is just days away, and the Bruins are in third place in the East Division standings. If they stand pat at the deadline, as Kaplan predicted March 24, it might be for reasons she outlines above. If they make a trade, it very well might happen because the team overcame that “sticking point.”